We went a little over the limit for thread number four...so you now have this shiny new one to play with.

As usual, this is where to come to find out about all things cultural: customs, school, food, work, etc.

There are lots of users from the UK and Ireland on our forums, and they've shown us how knowledgeable and willing to help they are ever since this started up. Therefore, please could ONLY Brits answer things in here.

Oh, and remember there's a time difference, so you may have to be patient for answers!

The latest query:

Hello there! I need a bit of urgent help. So, my newest (and as yet, un-submitted) story is called Sapphire Wings and it has a sub-plot line concerning the East End of London. The research I’ve done so far has only helped me find out things about the East End of the past – things like extreme poverty, cockney speech, murderers and muggers, and of course, immigrants. What I need to know is what the present day East End is like. Are there any cool ghost stories surrounding present-day places of the EE? Does extreme poverty still exist? Do the various foreign immigrants (Bangladeshis, Jews, etc) have special communities in the East End? How big is EE? Do people still live without homes there? Which parts of the EE are now for comparatively rich people (like, is Canary Wharf for high-class folks?) and which areas still have extremely poor people.

Please, help!!

Thanks, Amel